My New Adventure

For any of you out there who do not know where I am--why would you even think about it--I thought I'd write a little update. The months of October and November were so busy!

Planning to go to Haiti on October 15 for eight days, I worked pretty hard getting things for Christmas at the church done ahead of time, and it was a good thing. In early October my friend, Ben Shepherd, who is a UM pastor in Greensboro, called and asked me to come to North Carolina and talk with his Pastor Parish Committee (human resources) about a new position they were contemplating. Somewhat surprised, I thought I should at least listen to what they had to say, so I flew up here to meet with them.

After a long lunch with the pastor and the Committee Chair, I met in the early evening with the full committee for a pretty long interview. I wondered at their even considering me for this job because I am just not the age that one thinks of for moving from a settled position, settled life to a new position and an unsettled life. On leaving the interview, I went for a walk and had a talk with the Lord. I finally said that I would take the job if they offered it to me, even though it meant selling my home and moving to a strange place and a whole new way of life. I literally put the whole thing in God's hands, saying "If you want me to do this, I will, but you must make it really clear that this is right. So if they offer me the job--even though it seems not to make sense to my mind, I'll know you want me in North Carolina."

Well, they offered me the job, and here I am. I went back from NC to Florida, told my pastor and our Pastor Parish Committee Chair, flew to Haiti for the planned trip, went back to Florida for about three weeks, flew to PA to spend Thanksgiving with Lynne, Michael, and family, flew back to FL on Monday, November 30, left FL on Tuesday, and arrived in NC on December 1.

And I have been really busy since.

I'll go back to FL the day after Christmas to get my things, and I have rented a little house in the edge of a forest (the deer come up to the back yard in the morning) where I will live as long as I stay here, I hope. My house may never get to the market in FL because someone in my former church thinks he and his wife may want it. I'm not in a hurry about that.

All in all, I am content. I don't do well in disorder, and right now I feel that I am more than a little disordered because I am staying with someone else until I can go get my things. That will end soon, and then I'll really settle down.

I arrived on a Wednesday, and it was cool but not cold. By Thursday it was what the natives called "unseasonably cold," and Saturday by midday, it was pouring snow. We have had really cold days since then, with the temperature only once or twice getting to 40 degrees. Most of that time is was in the 20s. Then yesterday (1/16) we had a pretty serious ice storm, enough to stop everything--schools, business, etc. Today it's almost up to 40, and it feels wonderful outside.

'I am getting brave about driving. I can now find Walmart, Lowe's, a Library, several places to eat, and Noveau (for a haircut), my new bank, and a few other things of importance. Have not yet found a Post Office, but I will.

I've already got some things going here at the church, though I must confess that much of my just over two weeks here has been spent going to Christmas parties. The people are wonderful, loving, warm, and helpful. I know that this is going to be a blessing to my life, and I am excited about what God has in store for me.

I wrote about my beautiful day with one of the Sunday School classes as we visited an old church called Shiloh in Troy. It's somewhere on this blog, and if you're interested you can go back and read. Tomorrow a friend and I are going to The Nutcracker Suite, performed by the Greensboro Ballet Company. I am looking forward to that--the first, I hope, of such afternoons here in this lovely city. I guess I haven't missed such performances terribly or I would have found time to drive to Tampa or Ocala, but I am really happy that now things like the ballet and some good concerts will be only a few minutes drive to the heart of the city. I also want to investigate the lecture series at the University.

As you read, I hope you're not thinking that I should act my age and settle down. Maybe I never will. I am so thankful to feel a kind of exuberance I cannot remember feeling in a long time.

Thank you for reading. After Christmas I will write some news from Haiti.